Twin suicide bombings target Yemen mosque during Eid prayers

SANAA: Two suicide bombers blew themselves up at a mosque run by Houthi rebels in Sanaa on Thursday during Eidul Azha prayers, witnesses said.

The Houthis Ansarullah group’s website said at least 10 people were killed in the attack. Medics, however, claim the attack killed at least 25 people and wounded dozens more.

The blast happened in the Blili mosque near a police academy in Sanaa ─ which is controlled by Houthi insurgents ─ according to witnesses, some of whom reported seeing dead and wounded people.

No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Yemeni capital has been shaken by a string of bombings of Shia mosques in recent months claimed by the self-styled Islamic State group.

The Houthi rebels have seized several regions of Yemen including Sanaa which they overran a year ago.

Pro-government forces backed by Saudi-led air strikes have recently managed to wrest back some southern provinces, including Yemen’s second city of Aden.

IS and the Yemen-based branch of its rival Al Qaeda have exploited the turmoil to boost their activities in the impoverished country.